1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to translation support apparatuses and computer-readable storage media. The computer-readable storage medium may store a program which, when executed by a computer, causes the computer to perform a translation support process.
2. Description of the Related Art
A product, such as an OA (Office Automation) equipment, may be manufactured on a precondition that the product will be exported to a foreign country. In this case, a manual for the product, such as an operation manual and a maintenance or service manual, needs to be translated into a foreign language, such as an official language used in the country to which the product is exported. Hence, a translation work is carried out to translate an original manual, which may be in English, into another foreign language.
Conventionally, a manufacturer may place an order for the translation work to a translation company using a translation support system on the Web. The translation support system may centrally manage a series of processes related to the translation work of the manual, that may include creating the original-language text, placing the order for the translation, performing the translation, proofreading or correcting the translation, delivering the translation, bookbinding, and issuing a debit note. Examples of this translation support system are proposed in Japanese Patents No. 3771159 and No. 4049299.
The processes related to the translation work of the manual when utilizing the above translation support system may include the following processes P1 through P7.
The process P1 creates the text of the original-language manual by the manufacturer. The original language may be Japanese or, may be English if the product is expected to be exported to countries using various languages, for example.
The process P1 places the order for the translation work from the manufacturer to the translation company. The manufacturer may acquire estimates for the translation work through the translation support system in order to select the translation company. In this case, the manufacturer places the order for the translation work to the selected translation company.
The process P3 performs the translation by the translation company. The translation company who receives the original-language manual through the translation support system, segments the manual into sections if necessary, and assigns the translation of the sections to individual translators. Each translator translates the section of the manual assigned to the translator. The translator may access the translation support system via a Web browser in order to efficiently perform the translation work on a Web screen by utilizing a translation memory provided by the translation support system. When the translation work of each translator is completed, the translated sections are submitted to the manufacturer through the translation support system.
The process P4 proofreads or corrects the translations by the manufacturer. A proofreader at the manufacturer may proofread the translation for translation errors, correct the translation errors if any, and send the corrected translation to the translation company. Alternatively, the proofreader may inform the translation errors to the translation company, in order to have the translation errors corrected at the translation company and have the corrected translation resubmitted to the manufacturer.
The process P5 formally delivers the translation (or corrected translation) of the manual from the translation company to the manufacturer.
The process P6 performs a DTP (Desk-Top Publishing) at the manufacturer or, at the translation company, and edits the final translated manual using DTP software. The edited translated manual may be output in the form of a PDF (Portable Document Format) file.
The process P7 pays a translation fee for the translation work from the manufacturer to the translation company. The manufacturer may output a payment report based on translation results utilizing the translation support system, and pay the translation fees to the translation company based on the payment report. Generally, the translation fee is in most cases calculated by multiplying a price per word by a total number of translated words.
According to the translation support system described above, the series of processes P1 through P7 may be centrally managed on the Web. In addition, the translation support system may provide various support tools described hereunder, in order to support efficient translation work and proofreading or correcting work.
For example, the translator may efficiently perform the translation work using a translation tool implemented with the so-called translation memory. The translation memory is software that supports the translation, and forms a DB (Data-Base) that successively accumulates the translated texts (or translated data) that have been translated by the translators in the past by relating the translated texts to the original texts that were translation targets. When the translation tool implemented with the translation memory is used and a text identical to or similar to the original text has been translated in the past, the translation may be searched and extracted from the translation memory in order to automatically convert the original text using the translation. The translator using the translation tool may newly translate only portions of the translation not automatically converted based on the contents of the translation memory, so that the translation efficiency is improved.
In addition, when performing the proofreading work on the translation using the translation tool, for example, the proofreading efficiency may be improved by confirming the need for correction only for the portions newly translated by the translator, that is, portions other than the portions automatically converted based on the contents of the translation memory. Hence, when each translator proofreads or corrects the translation that is made using the translation tool implemented with the translation memory, each translator may use a proofreading tool that enables distinguishable editing of the portions acquired from the translation memory and the portions newly translated by the translator. The proofreader at the manufacturer may use such a proofreading tool in order to confirm only the portions newly translated by the translator, in order to improve the efficiency of the proofreading work.
When performing the process P4 described above, the proofreader at the manufacturer may confirm, on the Web screen of the translation support system, whether a translation error or the like exists in the translation translated by the translator and then, correct the translation error if any. In the series of processes related to the translation work of the manual, the process P4, which checks for translation errors in the translation translated by the translation company and corrects the translation errors, may be important from the point of view of obtaining a high translation quality.
However, the items to be actually confirmed by the proofreader include various items, such as translation errors, syntax errors, and spelling errors. Even if the portions to be confirmed by the proofreader are the portions newly translated by the translator who uses the translation tool, a troublesome operation may be required to confirm and correct the errors, particularly if the number of errors is relatively large or, the errors are scattered. Hence, the operation to confirm and correct the errors may be a burden on the proofreader at the manufacturer.
On the other hand, in the conventional translation support system, the translation fee is calculated in the same manner regardless of whether the translation includes a large number of errors. For this reason, from the point of view of the translation quality and the load caused by the operation to confirm and correct the errors, a sense of unfairness may exist for the translation fee calculated in the process P7 described above.